Chapter 275: A Night Of Fear PT 4

Lydia was trembling.

She tried her best not to show it, but her hands were shaking around the dagger.

Everything had happened too quickly.

Konstantin was still on the floor, covering his left eye with both hands. Blood ran through his fingers as he cried out in pain.

"My eye! My eye!"

Lydia could barely look at him.

She had never imagined she would hurt someone like that.

But she had been afraid for her life.

A few steps away, Damir was still fighting one of the men.

Lydia could not tell who was winning.

She only knew that she had to protect herself.

The remaining man stood in front of her.

His eyes were fixed on the dagger in her hands.

"Drop it."

Lydia shook her head.

"Stay away from me."

"I am warning you for the last time. Drop the dagger."

"I said don’t come near me."

The man took another step.

Lydia moved backward.

He reached for her hand.

She reacted without thinking.

The dagger cut across his arm.

He immediately pulled back.

"Ah!"

He looked down at the blood on his arm.

"You crazy bitch!"

Lydia’s breathing became faster.

"Don’t touch me."

The man glared at her.

"You’ll pay for that."

He rushed toward her.

Lydia tried to move away, but he was faster.

He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm.

"Let go of me!"

She struggled.

The dagger slipped from her hand, but she tried to hold on to it.

The man managed to pull it away.

"Give it to me!"

Lydia fought against him.

He became angrier.

Then his hand struck her face.

The slap sent her falling to the ground.

Lydia gasped as pain spread across her cheek.

The man stood over her.

"You crazy bitch."

He raised the dagger.

"I’ll kill you."

Lydia’s heart stopped.

She tried to move away, but before she could get up, he grabbed her by the throat.

His fingers tightened around her neck.

Lydia gasped.

"Let... go..."

He pushed her down.

"You should have kept your mouth shut."

Lydia grabbed his hands, desperately trying to pull them away.

She could not breathe.

Her eyes began to water.

She kicked her legs against the floor, but the man only held her tighter.

"All of this is because of you!"

His face was filled with anger.

"You ruined everything!"

Lydia struggled harder.

She could feel the strength leaving her body.

Then she saw it.

The dagger.

It was lying a short distance away.

Her eyes moved toward it.

She stretched one hand toward the weapon.

Her fingers were not far from it.

Just a little more.

She tried again.

Her fingertips touched the floor.

But she could not reach it.

The man’s hands tightened around her throat.

Lydia’s vision began to blur.

She could no longer hear everything clearly.

Her chest hurt.

She tried to breathe.

Nothing.

She reached toward the dagger again.

Her fingers stretched as far as they could.

Still, she could not reach it.

She was losing strength.

The room began to fade around her.

Then suddenly...

Bang!

The man collapsed.

His hands released Lydia’s throat.

She immediately pulled in a desperate breath.

She coughed and turned onto her side, holding her neck.

Damir stood behind the unconscious man.

He was breathing heavily, one hand holding the bar.

He looked exhausted.

He quickly pushed the unconscious man away from Lydia and dropped down beside her.

"Lydia!"

She looked up at him.

"Are you okay?"

Lydia nodded weakly.

Damir looked at her face, then at her neck.

There were already red marks where the man’s hands had been.

His expression changed.

"I was so worried."

Lydia tried to speak, but her throat hurt.

"I’m fine."

Damir shook his head.

"You’re not fine."

He pulled her into his arms.

Lydia did not resist.

For a moment, she simply allowed herself to be held.

Damir hugged her tightly.

"Thank God I got here on time."

His voice shook.

"I don’t know what I would have done if I had been too late."

Lydia closed her eyes.

She was still trembling.

"Let’s get out of here," Damir said softly.

Lydia nodded.

Damir helped her stand.

She looked back at the storage room.

The man who had attacked her was unconscious on the floor.

Konstantin had stopped moving for a moment, and Lydia could only assume he had fainted from the shock and pain.

The other man was also unconscious near the entrance.

There was no reason to stay.

Damir kept one hand around Lydia as they walked out.

Lydia’s legs still felt weak.

She took one careful step after another.

Then they reached the entrance of the cottage.

They stepped outside.

And suddenly, they heard the sound of horses.

Lydia looked up.

A group of men on horseback was coming toward them.

Her eyes widened.

At the front was Ivan.

Boris was beside him, followed by several palace guards.

Ivan saw Lydia.

He immediately got off his horse.

"Lydia!"

He ran toward her.

For one second, nothing else mattered to him.

Not the men behind him.

Not the cottage.

Not the danger.

Only Lydia.

He wanted to pull her into his arms.

He wanted to check every part of her body and make sure she was truly safe.

He wanted to ask her if she was hurt.

But when he reached her, he stopped.

Damir was already holding her hands.

Ivan’s eyes fell on them.

Something inside his chest tightened.

He looked at Lydia.

She looked frightened.

There were red marks around her neck.

Her hair was slightly messy, and her dress was no longer as perfect as it had been when she left the palace.

Ivan’s heart hurt.

Then he looked at Damir’s hands around hers.

A small pinch of jealousy came over him, but it quickly disappeared beneath something much stronger.

Guilt.

It was his fault.

If he had not left Lydia alone...

If he had protected her better...

She would never have been brought here.

Danger followed her whenever he was around.

That thought entered his mind.

Maybe it would be better if he stayed away from her.

Maybe she would be safer without him.

Ivan immediately pushed the thought away.

No.

Lydia’s safety was more important.

He could not think about himself now.

He stepped closer.

"Are you okay?"

His voice was softer than usual.

Lydia looked at him.

For a moment, she could not answer.

Then she nodded.

"I’m okay."

Ivan looked at the marks on her neck.

His expression tightened.

"Are you sure?"

Lydia nodded again.

"I’m fine."

Boris quickly came closer.

"Is everything all right, Your Highness?"

Lydia nodded.

"Yes."

Damir turned toward the cottage.

"The men who captured her are inside."

Ivan’s expression immediately hardened.

"How many?"

"There are three of them."

Boris looked at the guards.

"Go."

The guards immediately rushed into the cottage.

Ivan remained beside Lydia.

His eyes kept moving over her, checking for any other injuries.

He wanted to touch her.

He wanted to hold her.

But he stopped himself.

He remembered the promise he had made to respect her.

Boris looked toward the cottage.

"What happened?"

Lydia swallowed.

Her throat still hurt when she spoke.

"It was Lord Fedorov."

Boris’s expression changed.

"Konstantin Fedorov?"

Lydia nodded.

"He probably wanted revenge."

Her eyes lowered.

"He wanted to kill me or something."

Ivan’s hands curled into fists.

He said nothing.

The thought of Konstantin putting his hands around Lydia’s throat made his blood run cold.

He looked toward the cottage.

His face became frighteningly calm.

But Lydia noticed.

She could see the anger in his eyes.

Before anyone could say anything else, Damir turned back to Lydia.

"Thank God I got there on time."

He pulled her into another hug.

"I don’t know what I would have done."

Lydia stood quietly in his arms.

She was still shaken from what had happened.

But her eyes moved past Damir.

She looked at Ivan.

Ivan was looking at her too.

Their eyes met.

For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Lydia saw the guilt in his eyes.

He looked at her as though he blamed himself for every injury on her body.

Then Ivan looked away.

He could not bear it.

Lydia’s heart tightened.

She wanted to tell him that it was not his fault.

She wanted to walk toward him.

She wanted to tell him everything.

About the baby.

About how scared she had been.

About how much she still loved him.

But the words remained trapped inside her.

Ivan stood a short distance away, his face filled with guilt.

And Lydia could only stare at him.